FEATURE

Q. I found you in a club, who are you?

A. I am Joerg from Berlin and I am a portrait and fashion photographer
😉 based in East London.

Q. When did you come to London?

A. I got stranded in London in 2004. I was young and my heart was broken
but I decided to stay and move on with my life. So here I am still.

Q. Scruff or Grindr?

A.Scruff, no Grindr. em.. sometimes both. hehe

Q. Wine or Beer?

A. Wine at home. Beer when I am out.

Q. Drama or Cheer?

A. Of course Cheer!

Q. Who and what most inspires your photography?

A. I find my inspiration in many different things or people. It
could be a painting, a photograph or a person. I sometimes walk
through the streets of London and suddenly see an advert and think
“that looks cool lets do somethings like this next time”. There are so
many amazing photographers and artists out there. I find it difficult
to just pin it down to one person. It’s always important that an image
or artwork connects with me.

Q. What do you look for in a subject?

A. I am looking for uniqueness and personality, strong or weird,
beautiful or twisted, I don’t mind. I want to show something that
only I can see in my own way. I want to own the image with my personal
signature.

Q. What does the London club scene mean to you?

A. London’s club scene is my network. It also became a bit of my
family. I’ve met lots of amazing people and friends here. That’s how I
got around and met you. Sometimes I even work when I go out. I bump
into people and try to organise my photo shoots. Its a great thing to
meet creative and non creative people in a random place who then
introduce you to other people and so on. That’s how you create a
network at the end. People in London are very open and easy to
connect with. This is a great quality of London’s LGBTQ Scene. I’ve been to other places where this is not always the case and you can feel the
difference.

Q. Trannies?

A. I love trannies. I never really had the courage to dress up.
Basically each trannie lives what I feel deep inside me, (Smile).
Trannies are the explosion to each party, they are wild and fearless
and it is amazing to watch what confidence it can bring out of a
person.

Q. How would you feel if they continued to close down venues like The Joiners, The Nelsons Head, Madame Jojo’s and The Black Cap?

A. I do believe in progress and changes in life but I don’t believe
in creating ghost towns where people can’t even afford a coffee
anymore. I have lived for 10 years on Kingsland Road now and I’ve seen all the changes the area has going through. Most of it is nice because it has created a nicer and safer environment. But unfortunately this is a
double-edged sword. It also means that smaller businesses like bars and
clubs are suffering from the gentrification and the increasing rents.
I am deeply upset about the closure of all these great venues where I’ve
spent a lot of my time in the past. The only good news is that we still
have a strong minded gay scene here which is trying to find solutions
and alternatives for new venues and parties. My new favourite places
are now The Glory and The Shelter on Kingsland Road. The East End is
not dead yet! So see you around. 🙂

Find out more about Joerg and see his portfolio at: http://www.jbrunsendorf.com